old school blogging

We're going streaking! There is an "old school blogging" meme going around and Andrea from Bubblewrappd and Rebecca from Manic Mama have both tagged me. It's lists -- my favorite thing! I love lists. Sometimes I make lists of things I've already done just so I can check them off. So this will be FUN ♥

Five Things I Have a Passion For... my children, my husband, my family, laughing, and lately a passion has been reading/educating myself about the tragic industrial food complex. Am I a drag? Anyways, also close runner up passions would be Project Runway and coffee.

Five Things I'd Like to do Before I Die... find the death antidote, visit Greece, see my kids happily settled into lives they chose and get to know my grandkids, go back to grad school (but for what?), and grow/tend a really splendid English garden.

Five Things I Say a Lot... That's garbage, Make it work, You chose poorly, For reals?!, and Awesome

Five Places I Want to Travel... Greece, Hawaii, Italy, Galapagos Islands, and Ireland

Five People I Want to Tag for Old School Blogging... I think I am tardy to the party so I am just going to tag anyone who hasn't already been tagged elsewhere. Tag, you! What are your lists of five? Will we one day meet up in my organic English garden in Italy over a nice coffee and watch an epi of Project Runway and then go streaking? I hope so!

a new look and some thoughts on having a fellow morning person in Otto

Ot & Et has a new, wonderful look that I can't stop drinking in with my eyes! All thanks to the most amazing urban folk artist Jenn Shepherd. I found Jenn while window shopping on Etsy one day and just instantly fell in total, hopeless love with the hand-drawn charm and cute-but-not-cutesy-ness of her illustrations. There is something uncanny in what she does that I connect with on such a gut and soul level. Isn't that the best thing about art? It can just get right to your soul in a way you can't even explain and express what you are all about without saying a single word. Jenn was kind enough to create the new custom header for this blog. I look forward to doing a whole feature on Jenn and her shop in the very near future, in the mean time you should head over to Etsy and check her stuff out. She and her shop items are all just super super cool.

Around here we are smack-dab in the middle of back-to-back visits from loved ones, so this blog isn't getting much attention, understandably I am tired yo. My best friend and her 5 year old were here for the weekend and we just relaxed and wore sweat pants and had beer and let the boys play and we all ate everything we ever wanted and just talked and wallowed in our perfect comfortableness. It was amazing. 

While everyone else slept til 7am like sane persons Otto was up bright and early every day right at 5 and shot out of a cannon. "Let's color and watch a show and have a snack and play legos! I have to poop! Where are my pants? See you downstairs!" Since he wakes up right next to me I got to wake up to the alarm clock of his morning requests and suggestions and every thought that came into his head. My job was to say, "Shhhh no one else wants to be up right now, let's silently go downstairs as silently as we can and don't forget to be quiet as you go silently and don't say a word." So he'd chit-chat his way downstairs and out of earshot. The house can sleep through this at 5am because it's 5am and who wakes up for anything at 5am? Nobody but a fellow morning person and I'm the only one in the house. 

Otto comes by his bright eyed and bushy tailed-ness honestly. I'm a morning person. Straight up I am. 5am on a vacation day feels nuts to me too but I can roll with it because I really love mornings. I remember being the second one up my entire childhood. See, my dad is the morningest person in the world and always beats everyone else up, makes coffee, and works a crossword. I love that Otto inherited this morning person trait from us. Wakes up with a smile. Wants to start the party with the rising sun. I love spending my mornings with him enjoying the quiet while everyone else slowly wakes up around us.

Coffee and hours of coloring with my favorite four year old made for some pretty great mornings this weekend... followed by the best days. 

bye bye GFC but Bloglovin was always prettier

So I only get around to finding out about blog-world drama on the weekends. I'm tardy to the "OMG GFC is finally dying; wait didn't it already die? Well yeah kinda but now for real, kaput, dead!" party. So I am officially claiming my blog on Bloglovin' where it's been for a while but I never really did anything with it. I actually use my Google reader every now and again so from now on it'll be my Bloglovin' reader that I go-to when I have insomnia. I hope you decide to add Ot and Et to your Bloglovin' roll. In order to claim it they're asking me to post the following message, I'd be honored if you click the link and follow, gracias!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

And let's all wish a skunk-eyed RIP to GFC. Those morons. We loved you, GFC. You blew it. We're moving on ♥

what he wore {a lil fashion shoot}

we did this little impromptu fashion shoot the other day to showcase my new favorite vintage kids find OF ALL TIME and some other sweet things...

i loved these pics so much i redid my header! look above, you'll see it - all new! now for more cuteness...

Ot's wearing top (my new favorite, from lil' peeps vintage) and bottoms (wonderboy).
Benji's wearing polka dot collar & matching leash (c/o dog collars boutique).

whoa, doggie! haha. he is so fun.

Anyways, I am so in love with this outfit on Otto that it's kind of making me crazy that he won't be able to wear it for months (arizona, summer, meh). I hope he doesn't outgrow the top by then or i will seriously be scowling in the cool Oregon breeze. Sidenote on Ot's pants: I won them! Won! From a giveaway on Baby Blackbird (check out yesterday's post here for more amazingness from this kids fashion blog).

Official verdict: Cuteness!

Benji there is sporting this cute polka dot collar/leash ensemble (ahem) that we are going to give to Harley, Otto's Nana's new golden retriever puppy.

If you are in the market for dog fashion items you might check this place out and you can use the code BLOG5 for 5% off your order of anything on the site.

Thanks for sharing in our lil fashion shoot! Makes me wish I had a "real" camera and the time (and money, sheesh) to do this kind of thing all the time! Oh well, once in a blue moon will have to do.  

xo,

Lindsey

Some more links to dog collars boutique: dog toys, retractable leashes, bling dog collars, dog id tags

{Guest Post} Baby Blackbird's Vacation Stylings for Mr. O

Brandy from Baby Blackbird is one of my favorite blog mamas and I stalk her site on the daily to get fashion ideas for my little man (and myself). Brandy is the cutest thing (fashionista extraordinaire) and she dolls her kiddos up in the perfect mix of hipster modern, etsy awesome, her own creations, & vintage wassup. I always say she's like Rachel Zoe for kiddos! While I was on vacay last week, Brandy was cool enough to do this special guest post! But then (womp womp) blogger froze for a couple days and I wasn't able to schedule it in time. Boo! Luckily it's cuteness doth not require me to be on vacay so I'm running it today. pssssst, after you're done drooling over this cuteness (I so went bulldog slobbery when I saw this), then you should clean yourself up and go check out Brandy's awesome blog. Thanks, Brandy!!! xoxo

Hi there, I'm Brandy from Baby Blackbird | The Kids's Fashion Destination, I'm a fashion designer by trait and a mommy to two little kids. Baby Blackbird is about all things fashionable for kids, fashion trends, kids' street style, and so much more...come by some time and have a look around!

The lovely Lindsey let me crash Otto's Mom Blogs while she's vacationing it up in the sun. I thought I'd put together a couple outfits for Otto. I know Lindsey is on this vacation Otto-less {this time} but IF Otto was laying on the beach with Mom and Dad, this is totally what he'd be wearing:

1.Crewcuts kids aye aye baseball hat 2.Crewcuts kids classic Kway jacket 3.Crewcuts boys stripe lobster tee 4.The Gap retro aviators 5.Crewcuts boys contrast swim short 6.Havaianas boys flip flops

Daytime on the beach, wouldn't this outfit be perfect for Otto?

1.77kids woven panama hat 2.The Gap convertible plaid shirt 3.77kids wayfarer sunglasses 4.Crewcuts beaded leather cord bracelet 5.Crewcuts slim fit chino 6.Crewcuts kids Sperry slipons

Evening out for dinner, how cute would Otto look in these duds?

I hope Lindsey is having a great time sunning it up, come by Baby Blackbird some time, check out some cute kids's street style and some of the hottest kids fashion trends.

"Head" Over Heels (Boys' Moms Love Ribbons and Bows Too)...

No, I'm not one of those weirdos who dress their son up in girls clothes. You've been watching too much TLC! But, as a mama to Otto (who looks like Shiloh Pitt and would, in fact, look DARLING dressed as a girl - not that I would ever), aunt to a sweet little mister, and with my two best friends both having little boys, let's just say there is a dearth of ribbons and bows in my life. That doesn't mean I can't window shop. And some day, who knows, maybe all my drooling over ribbons and bows will have me prepped and ready to shop if we ever have a little girl! (A few months ago this thought wouldn't have crossed my mind - but lately I'm thinking "that'd be cool"... anyways...) So, if I had a hip little lady to adorn I think I'd want her to dress kinda like me: a little dirty hippy, a little SoHo hipster, a little cozy cozy, and always adorable (ahem, well her, maybe not me on that last one, as i sit here in hole-y socks and mis-matched sweats).

Ok --> Ribbons and Bows! I'm kind of obsessed with...

Brandy of the Etsy shop BabyBlackbird sells a baby leather headband, awwww! And other hip little headbands as well. Her style definitely fits into the hippy+hipster category and bestill my heart!

Tracy of Sweet Harper makes all kinds of hair accessories that are totally unique, modern and FUN for little gals. There is so much to be said for child-like charm and whimsy!

These are baby sunglasses! OMG OMG OMG OMG they're from Janie and Jack. Le sigh.

Sorry I just passed out from the cuteness. Baby jeggings! By Trumpette. Maybe not technically a ribbon/bow but I was looking for sweet baby tights and came across these and then lost consciousness from the extreme cuteness. When I woke up from my stupor I knew I had to include them!

Ok, enough torturing myself with little lady cuteness for one afternoon. Any other boy-mama's creeping around the girl's department too? I KNOW I'm not the only one! Of course, little boy stuff is insanely cute too - like my all-time fave hipster shoes for lil guys, any and all baby Pumas!

And this Wa Kabuki cap by Sckoon puts a big ole smile on this boy-mama's face... 

Whatevs, all kids clothes are cute because they're small and on kids and kids are freaking cute. But just saying, sometimes I like to check out the "other side" and fill my eyes with pinks, violets, ribbons and frills. Totally normal, right? 

xo,
Lindsey

Stylish Blogger Award - Eek! I mean, "Sniff, Sniff, Simply Fahhhbulous!"

Thank you SO much to Jaimie from Legos In My Pocket for honoring TidbitsParenting with the Stylish Blogger Award! Check it out:



I'm crazy excited about this! Yip! Here are the Stylish Blogger Award rules...

In order to accept this award you must:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pay it forward to 15 some recently discovered great bloggers. (haha, I can't do 15, oy)(oh shit, I did 12! Wow, maybe I read blogs too much these days, ha!)
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their award
 
So here are 7 things about myself:
 
1. I officially knew I was a middle-aged married lady the day I told my husband, "I'm mad about Maroon 5!" and he said, "whoa, you're totally a stereotypical middle-aged married lady."
2. I think everyone should donate $25 to Kiva.org because it's a donation that keeps on giving and helps people to help themselves. You can re-donate your $25 over and over and over. I'm addicted!
3. I wish I knew how to play guitar (bucket list).
4. I wish someone would knock out all of my teeth so that their insurance had to pay for me getting veneers.
5. I want to take my family to Ireland before Otto is 10 and just walk around and bike around and drink beer and buy wool things and go to the coast and sit by a fire and eat eat eat.
6. Green bean casserole is honestly my favorite food, e v e r. So this past week rocked my world. GBC every day!
7. 1, 2, 3, 4 (the Sesame Street version) by Feist gets me so verklempt I end up with tears in my eyes every time! Haha, it's just so sweet.
 
And the award goes to...
 
These are some of my flava-faves! Blogs I read on the regular...

Life on the Mom List

Sweet Harper

Monkey-Toes Shoes

The Journey of the Unfinished Woman

Funny or Snot

The Mama of Mojo

Crunchy VT Mommy

Life of a Sippy Cup Mom

Grow family, Grow!

Baby Baby Lemon

Tucson Mama

The Sears Fam

Thanks again, Jaimie! You know I love you big time! Muah!

-Lindsey